Automatic catch.



P. T. ROEDER.

AUTOMATEC CATCH.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.21,1915.

Patented May 25, 1915.

HE NORRIS PETERS 50., PHOTO-LITHO.v WASHINGTON. D. c.

PAUL T. ROEDER, OF BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC CATCH.

Application filed January 21, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, PAUL T. Ronnnn, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bloomington, in the county of McLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Catches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention is concerned with automatic catches, preferably adjustable, for holding swinging members, such, for instance, as cellar windows, in any desired position, which catch acts automatically to lock the window in any position, and which can be released by a simple movement of the window, or other member to which it is applied, from its locked position.

To illustrate my invention, I annex hereto a sheet of drawings, in which the same reference characters are used to designate identical points in all the figures, of which Figure 1 is a side elevation of a cellarwindow casing and sash having my invention applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same; Fig. 3 is a detail on an enlarged scale, illustrating the relationship of the locking parts; and Fig. 4 is a similar view, illustrating the same in another position.

To illustrate my invention in its use for which it is primarily designed, I have shown a casing a for a cellar-window, having a sash b hinged therein at its upper edge by the hinges 0. These elements, of course, operate in the customary manner.

The locking mechanism comprising my invention, which is applied to the swinging sash Z), but which might be applied to any other similarly located movable member, consists of the catch-pin d, which is secured to the sash in any desired manner, as by screws passed through the flattened shank 6 thereof and into the sash. Cooperating with this locking pin is the locking bar 7", which is loosely pivoted between the ears 9 of the bracket h, which is secured to the casing in any desired manner, as by the screws shown. This locking bar f is provided with one or more locking recesses 7', which preferably have the shape shown, and which necessarily have the inclined edge 70 for the purpose to be described. Of course I may e1n ploy simply the single locking-recess, where the window is to be held in only one position, but I preferably employ the plu- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1915.

Serial No. 3,455.

rality shown, so that the window can be ad usted in any one of several positions. Associated with each of the locking recesses 7' is the dog Z, which is loosely pivoted on the bar by the bearing pin m, which may be secured in place in any desired manner, preferably by riveting. It is necessary for efiicient operation that these dogs be pivoted rather loosely so that their position will always be controlled by gravity, sub ject to the limiting action of the abutments hereinafter described. The essential feature of these dogs is their location relative to the locking recess and the bearing surface a formed on the lower edge thereof and operating in the manner to be described. To limit the movement of the dogs Z and to insure their being in the proper position for the action to be subsequently described, I employ in connection with each dog the abutment 0, which preferably takes the form of a lug cast integral with and projecting from the side of the bar adjacent the edge of the locking recess 7'. 1 preferably also employ the similar abutment 79, located on the opposite side of the bearing pin m and serving to prevent the dog being moved out of operative position at the other extreme of its possible movement.

With these elements, the operation of the device is as follows: Supposing that the window-sash is closed, and it is desired to open the same, the user merely grasps the handle a, secured preferably at the center of the lower edge of the sash, and swings it out. As the pin (Z reaches each locking recess j, it engages the side 1' of the dog Z and swings it out of the way so that it can enter the recess 7'. If the window is to be stopped so as to be held open by the first dog encountered, the movement of the window is stopped any time after the pin passes the edge of the recess neXt to the abutment 0 and before the pin passes the position of the parts shown in Fig. 3. Releasing the sash in this position causes it to start to swing back, and in swinging back the pin cl enters the recess j and is held thereby from closing, and the harder the sash presses against the bar, the more tightly it is locked from further movement. When the sash is to be opened, all that is necessary is for the handle {1 to be grasped and the sash lifted open a little farther until the pin d passes the position shown in Fig. 3, after which the dog Z that it hasjust passed immediately swings b'y" gravity into the lposition in Which the dog stands substantially vertical, and if the sash'is now released and allowed to fall by gravity, or is shoved to.v its closed position, the pin d, as itr'ea'ches" each locking recess, contacts With theside of-the locking 'dogassociated With that re cess, and by its continued engagement with.

that side, as indicated by the position of the -;p.'arts:in. Fig. 14, holds. the dog over .the lock- .ingfrecess until -;the:pin;has"passed said; lockaingrrecesstfand,this. action of the. pin, in ipassingsall the dogs insures the sash...being -.close dzcompletely Without; any trouble What- .ever...:;Atj the'outerend otthe locking bar .f,;:l'may ;pla.cethe notchs, which catches the pin cl. before the; s'ashzcan be swung open far .:enough to .di'sengagezthej locking .bar from thepini. f 1; A. 11L.Wl'ith.fthe...;constructi0n.jshown, it. Will. be seen that; I have. devised a" simple. and 'auto ematically operate'd catch that enables. me ---to.:1nove. the sashfb, ,or. any similanmember ito. .which--; it is; applied, to any; desired; .po-

sitionxandlock: 'the' same; in that position, an'dzunloclc and close: it, Withoutiany' direct manipulation: hateve'r of. the. looking. :devicscani. ti. .1. p a ;W;hilel have. shown;andidescribed myinyven'tion asiembodied ,in thiefformxwhich I fatZpresentfconsider best. adapted to. carry out;. its .purp'oses, .it Will;be ,understood that -it.;is;le.capable .1of .;modifications, and} that I do notidesire to beJimit'ed-in the interpre --tati'on.of theiollowing. claims except as. may be necessitated by. the .statetoftthe .prior art. What ILclai-m'as new, and desire; to; secure by Letters Patent of the United .State's,"is': in :a; device :of theaclas's described", the ecombination with. a :movable z-memberi ad- :jus'table, .toxdifi'erent positions and.-car.i:ying iaQcatch "pin, f of a: bar; having. .a; locking. re,- 'ce'ss;-;adapted to'fcooperate-pwith. the gpimto zholjd'the. member with its pin-:in the locking recessfland :t'hus .held adjusted. away from (its; normal position) andfmeans' cooperating with :the spin tiand bar" and. preventing. the fenga'gementiof thefopini Withithe recessdur- -inggtlie returnjmovement .ot'said member, y'vhichmeans'is; brought into .actionby; simply zmoving the-i.member. onto: disengage the "pirrifromitheirecessl.14;

,1. .112; aInia. idevicelof, the j class idesoribedgpthe combination yvith Ia movablelmember. adj nsttable :to diflerentipositions. andf carryinga ;cateh: pin, 1 f a;bar. hayinga locking recess adapted tQCOtjPGlTfitGuWltlL' the-pin to hold the memberiwith citsv in, the locking ;re- .cess; and ithusjheldij adjusted; away :.-fIOIIi'3it.S .znornial positionyandmeans: cooperating with "the spin: andzbarf rand allowing: the. pin, to tenter-i.the:1recess::.to; lock, thei'j'member when .itii's' stopped withlthei pin; opposite.,the re- :cess, but';preventing :the.1pin..fr0m *entering the recess to lock the member asLit is moved freely past the recess in either direction provided no stop is made opposite the recess. -3. Ina'-devioe;of-the class described, the

combination With a movable member adjust- "ab'letodiflerent positions and carrying a ffoatch-pimlof a bar having a locking. recess adaptedto cooperate with the pin to hold 1 ..tll.6.1m9mheI!;-W; ith its pin in the locking re.- cess and thus adjusted away from its normal position, and a dogrpivotedtolthe bar'adjacent ithefrecesstand "servingto. preventthe .pin entering the, recessrduring the return movement ofpthememberf. ,5: $5.; 3.; p14. .Infar deviceof :the. class described,the .c'ombination With.ai1'l'lOVitb16 member :adj list- A able .to..ldifie'rentj:positions 1. and; carrying ,a catch-pin, of a;bar.-1haVing :.a;looking recess aa'dapted .ttolj .coo.perate.;..With the. pin. to hold the. member with jitsipin in-therlocking irecessaand;thusadjusted away from its.;normal position, 'a. dog fpiyoted' to. the barQadj acent the .recessland serving. to" preventv the ,pin .en- "tering :the recess during the return movementcoflthe, membengandian abutment to "limit-thejmovement Yoftlie' do g, forgthe purpose described.

- 5. .5; In. a; device-jot. the class. ;described,". the scombination with: a moyablemember: adjust- -..able'; 'toj.difi'erent.r positions, and: carrying/a batch-pin, of 1a having a. lockingfreces's adapted to cooperate with :the pinto. hold -the' ,imernber: with its-pin. in the:- locking. 're- -cess;and;thusiadjusted away, fromfits normal :.positioir,1 aldogipivoted rto vthe;.bar; adjacent rtherecessandiserying.topifeventthepinen- 't'ering. the recess dnringthe retnrn movement. .o'f ...the:1'nember,-; and .a; .1) air. nf .abntments to limit the movement of the dog, for the 'vpnrposeiidescribedzj 1 1:; c; ;'ff.i 6.:" Inva;.dvice of; the I .olass: ldesoribed, the 'cornbinati on ith xa-ln oyable -membe;;11st ableggjto different" positionslandarring a catchepin, iabaahaving a .lockin'g'iecess adapted toicooperate;Withothe.pin to hold the member; with ill/Si .pin', in. the looking. re- .roess Landthus adj usted away .frjomf'itsnormal position; adhg': pivoted :togthe .ba'r adjacent zthezrecesszandeserving. to. prevent the'pin. .611.- :ctering "the;recess .:..'duringl the rturn move- 5men-tgof ithegmember, ;and':a.:pair1:of hllgsjextending from-. thezzbarfintolthe plane Inf the idoglto 1 cooperate; therewith: and prevent its swinging beyond its T-operative position-J 1.15"]? In ,a edevice fofthe jclass e.described.,-athe rcjombi-nation With-member] hinged; at, one edge thereof; adjustable to, .difi'erent positions .andhay'ing aopinsconnected itheretoziravelin'g;throughitheiarc of, a1; circle as said membersistswnngton,its hinge',z of abar :pivoted on the: stationary "support towhioh ithel vineiniher is; :hiiiged;;and "havingja lobkingmecess adapted-.-rt.o,'leooperate-iwith the pfin to hold the memberzadjusted awfaygfrom -its;normal position, and; ;means;nooperating; With; the

pin and bar and allowing the pin to enter the recess to lock the member when it is stopped with the pin opposite the recess, but preventing the pin from entering the recess to lock the member as it is moved past the recess in either direction provided no stop is made opposite the recess.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member hinged at one edge thereof adjustable to different positions and having a pin connected thereto traveling through the arc of a circle as said member is swung on its hinge, of a bar pivoted on the stationary support to which the member is hinged and having a locking recess adapted to cooperate with the pin to hold the member adjusted away from its normal position, and a dog pivoted to the bar adjacent the recess and serving to prevent the pin from entering the recess during the return movement of the member.

9. In a device of the class described, the the combination with a member hinged at one edge thereof adjustable to different positions and having a pin connected thereto traveling through the arc of a circle as said member is swung on its hinge, of a bar pivoted on the stationary support to which the member is hinged and having a locking recess adapted to cooperate with the pin to hold the member adjusted away from its normal position, a dog pivoted to the bar adjacent the recess and serving to prevent the pin from entering the recess during the return movement of the member, and an abutment to limit the movement of the dog, for the purpose described.

10. In a device of the class described, the combination with a member hinged at one edge thereof adjustable to different positions and having a pin connected thereto traveling through the arc of a circle as said member is swung on its hinge, of a bar pivoted on the stationary support to which the member is hinged and having a locking recess adapted to cooperate with the pin to hold the member adjusted away from its normal position, a dog pivoted to the bar adjacent the recess and serving to prevent the pin from entering the recess during the return movement of the member, and a pair of abutments to limit the movement of the dog, for the purpose described.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and affixed my seal, this 12th day of January, A. D. 1915.

PAUL T. ROEDER. [1 s.]

WVitnesses:

JOHN HOWARD MoELRoY, MILDRED ELSNER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, I). G. 

